The previous Download News  2013/3  here
 was in such danger of becoming a Telemann-fest that I held some
of the reviews over to this time; now I find that this edition is in the same
boat. Indeed, as in the days when I produced just one Download Roundup per
month its become altogether too big for its boots. Ill try to
be less prolific next time.

This started as a short review, not just because I obtained these recordings
only on the very cusp of closing this Download News but also because I have
no significant criticism to level against either of them.

Until recently the status of John Eliot Gardiners recordings of the
Bach Passions, Christmas Oratorio and b-minor Mass (DG  see below) was
unassailed. John Butt and the Dunedin Consort on Linn challenged the
hegemony of Gardiners Matthew Passion a couple of years ago and now
theyve done it again with the John Passion. Thats an even bigger
plus for me because, though its impossible to choose between two such
mighty masterpieces, I tend slightly more towards the St John.

Not only is this an exceptionally fine small-scale performance and recording
with scholarly but readable notes, it attempts to bring us closer to the way
in which the original listeners experienced the passion on Good Friday 
not a particular Good Friday because its a composite of the various
revisions, though as close as possible to the projected 1739 version 
but with material from the Lutheran Vespers service as celebrated at Leipzig
in the early 18th century.

Im not going to get into the debate about one-to-a-part singing of Bach,
merely to say that there is strong evidence to support it and that it works
very well here. I said that I had no criticism to offer, but theres
one small point which I ought to raise: Ecce quodmodo moritur follows
a little too hard on the heels of the end of Bachs final chorale.

The new recording wont cost you a fortune, with prices ranging from
£8 (mp3) to £18 (24-bit). Im not about to jettison John
Eliot Gardiner, whose four Bach recordings, the two Passions, Christmas Oratorio
and b-minor Mass, can also be obtained for an advantageous price in a 9-CD
DG box set (469 7692: target price £45 or download from 7digital.com
for £23.99) but I shall certainly be playing the Dunedin Consorts
St Matthew and John Passions this Holy Week, too.

Thus far I had reached when I obtained Hyperions new recording:

If you feel uncomfortable with a St John Passion in the context of Lutheran
Vespers or with one-to-a-part in the choruses, Stephen Layton and his distinguished
team on Hyperion offer a more conventional approach. More conventional, however,
doesnt mean inferior and certainly not stodgy in the traditional
manner; this could well be your first choice if you are looking for a 24-bit
download.

I should mention that Hyperion have adopted a policy of offering their 24-bit
downloads at 88.2kHz, a format which Windows up to version 7 doesnt
support, so that although my DAC can cope with that frequency, it doesnt
get the chance to do so and has to be set at 44.1. That means that in theory
Im listening to sound inferior to Linns 24/96 offering. In practice
my septuagenarian ears cant tell much difference  both sound very
good and should be preferable to the 16-bit CD version  though younger,
sharper-eared audiophiles may believe that they do so.

After the preliminary material on Linn  its several minutes before
the Passion proper begins  it actually sounds odd to begin on Hyperion
in medias res with Herr unser Herrscher. At 9:04 Stephen Laytons
account of that opening is marginally slower than John Butts 8:43, a
minimal difference typical of the two performances; in practice the pace is
almost identical throughout both recordings  timings are usually mere
seconds apart and Layton sometimes is actually marginally faster, as in Erwäge
wie sein blutgefärbter Rücken (II: No.38) where his 8:37 compares
with Butts 8:45.

Whereas Butt seeks to conform to Bachs putative 1739 model, for which
he actually wrote out the first twelve numbers, Layton is content to follow
the Neue Bach Ausgabe, a sensible compromise text, though one which
Bach admittedly never actually performed, but he includes as an appendix accompanied
versions of three chorales which he has come to prefer in unaccompanied form
in performance practice over a number of years. Overall the Hyperion version
shares the virtues of their Messiah recording, also with Iestyn Davies,
Polyphony and Stephen Layton (CDA67800  review
and review).

Both booklets are excellent, as you would expect. All in all, then, two excellent
new recordings of this wonderful music; choice can safely be left to whether
Hyperion on CD and 24/88.2 will do or you must have Linn on SACD or 24/96
or 24/192 sound and on how you feel about the additional items on Linn. If
it matters, Linn have the more eye-catching cover.

I see that John Quinn was also impressed by the Hyperion recording 
review.

A short review is almost always a sign of strong approval and this can be
very brief: I dont know of any recording of these madrigals to match
this, let alone excel it. Having owned these performers 3-CD set of
the Eighth Book (OP30435: Recording of the Month 
review)
I knew that I would approve right from the start and so it proves. Id
recommend that Eighth Book first  also available to download in mp3
and lossless from classicsonline.com
 but thats the only reservation apart from the lack of texts,
which, unfortunately, is becoming a regular grumble on my part. Its
only partly offset by the availability of online scores of some of these madrigals,
including the words and score of Lamento dArianna  here.

Ariadnes Lament, which opens Book Six, was originally part of
Monteverdis 1608 opera Arianna, now lost, only the enormous popularity
of the Lament having preserved several versions of this one small part, also
as an adaptation as a lament for the Virgin Mary. I was only partly persuaded
by Véronique Gens (Lamento, Virgin 5190442  review)
so the main competition for the Opus 111 recording comes from Emma Kirkby
(Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, budget price). That DHM CD no longer seems to be
available in the UK, leaving Alessandrini and his team principal victors apart
from an inexpensive 7-CD Virgin set of Books 1-3 and 6-8 which also features
Emma Kirkby and Anthony Rooley (0833972  a steal at £8.99
from sainsburysentertainment.co.uk,
little more than youd pay for the 2-CD set from Book Eight in the same
performances, itself a bargain).

I wouldnt recommend economising on Book Six alone with the Naxos recording
which I reviewed
some time ago.

If youre looking for a shorter selection of madrigals from Book Eight,
Hyperion have an inexpensive answer: CDH55165
contains very good performances from Red Byrd and The Parley of Instruments/Peter
Holman of Altri canti dAmor, Il Combattimento di Tancredi
e Clorinda, the Ballo Movete and Il Ballo delle Ingrate [69:04];
this time the texts are included and the cover displays one of the most striking
paintings in the whole of renaissance Italian art.

This is a reissue of three recommended recordings released separately in the
1990s: CHAN0579  July 2009 Roundup
 CHAN0602  February 2010 Roundup
 and CHAN0610  July 2010 Roundup.
Whereas before the concertos from Op.7 and Op.9 were intermingled, the new
rearrangement presents them in chronological order; that, plus the reduced
price, effectively 3 for the price of 2, makes these recordings even more
attractive. Dont forget that Chandos and Collegium 90 also have fine
recordings of Albinonis Op.5 (CHAN0663) and Op.10 (CHAN0769)
concertos.

Powerful performances in recordings which hardly sound their age in these
transfers. The Meistersinger Prelude and the Tristan Prelude
and Liebestod were until recently available on budget-price Sony SBK48175
but that recording seems no longer to be generally available in the UK, which
makes the HDTT album all the more welcome. I doubt that the mp3 transfer from
amazon.co.uk or even the 320kbs version from 7 digital sounds anything like
as well as these 24-bit downloads. Even if you have that CD you can still
purchase the remaining tracks separately from HDTT.

These recordings didnt originally appear together in the UK. The Meistersinger
Prelude and the Tristan Prelude and Liebestod were coupled with
Beethovens Choral Symphony on UK Columbia  a hangover of an old
contractual arrangement, even though CBS, who had long been allied with Philips,
had gone it alone by that time. Later the Tristan music re-appeared
coupled with Bruckners Eighth Symphony and earned a strong recommendation
for its symphonic finesse rather than dramatic involvement  which, surely,
is the right way to tackle these two conjoined items from opposite ends of
the opera when the drama in-between is not there for the conductor to get
involved in. That doesnt mean, however, that the performance is lacking
in passion.

Thats true of the other items, too; the reissue is most welcome for
the sparkle of the performances and the quality of the sound which HDTT have
coaxed out of the grooves of that (US) Columbia LP. I know that some will
be snooty about having the two bleeding chunks of Tristan yoked together
 Im not one of them; they are the only potential buyers who need
hesitate. Nor will the purchase break the bank: 7digital.com are asking almost
£8.00 for their mp3 download of the Sony CD, so $12.00 for 24-bit sound
is hardly exorbitant. Szell had something of a reputation as a whizz-kid 
his Dvořák Slavonic Dances are still just about the most exciting
on the market  but though his Tannhäuser Overture is comparatively
fast alongside, say, Karajan (DG) that doesnt mean that his conducting
was superficial.

When three of these items were reissued on (French) CBS 60019 in 1984, the
lack of ambient breadth of the sound was commented on. You wouldnt mistake
these for modern digital recordings, but I certainly wouldnt call this
transfer of the recording of the Tannhäuser or Dutchman
overtures in particular lacking in breadth.

Classic Walton, indeed: of all the fine recordings of Belshazzars
Feast this can claim to be the benchmark and the 1954 recording of Façade
has never been equalled. Though both are available elsewhere, differently
coupled  Façade on Decca Eloquence 480 3783, with
Overtures and music by Bax and Bliss; and Belshazzar as part of Walton
Conducts Walton, 5 CDs, EMI 6805012 (see review
of earlier release)  the arrangement here will appeal to many and the
download price is competitive with those other recordings, though I should
point out that hmvdigital.com (now subsumed into 7digital.com)
offer the 2-CD EMI Walton conducts Walton set containing Belshazzar,
its original coupling, Partita, the First Symphony and Violin Concerto
for £5.99.

The recording of Belshazzar received rave reviews on its first appearance
in mono and again when it was released in stereo and though other fine versions
have since appeared, not least from André Previn, it remains strongly
competitive. Not everyone will think Donald Bell the ideal soloist 
hes a little too lyrical rather than dramatic  but thats
hardly enough to spoil my enjoyment and the recording wears its years very
lightly. If, however, you must have a more recent recording, Chandos provide
the answer on a 2-for-1 release (CHAN241-10, with Symphony No.1, Cello
Concerto, Coronation Te Deum, Orb and Sceptre and Crown Imperial).

Façade also sounds well, though, its mono only. The performance
is unequalled, even by the Hyperion recording  review
and July 2012/1 Roundup.
Its this inimitable coupling that ultimately leads me to recommend the
Beulah Belshazzar in preference to the slightly less expensive EMI twofer
from hmvdigital.com.

The bit-rate of the opening track is abysmally low but the quality of the
music-making shines through the less than ideal sound and the download will
cost you only £2.52. Its a shame that we dont get to hear
Miles Daviss contribution in decent sound but the bit-rate and sound
quality from the early 1960s (?)  the download comes without documentation
 improve dramatically thereafter.

Amazon.co.uk
have an alternative album  the same programme minus So what but
with East Train, for even less, at £1.49.

What a wonderfully versatile and adventurous label Toccata Classics is and
what a wide range of repertoire it covers. Who else would record Peggy Glanville-Hicks
last opera, which hadnt even been performed in full before, let alone
recorded  Hyperion or Chandos, perhaps? Just the final scene had been
recorded before, with the Etruscan Concerto on ABC Classics 
review
and October 2011/1 Roundup
 but now we have the whole thing.

Half way through my writing this review John Sheppard, in making the CDs his
Recording of the Month, said just about all that needs to be
said, so it only remains for me to report that the download sounds fine in
lossless form and to urge you to support the venture by buying the recording
in one form or another.

This is an essential purchase for Callas fans at £2.10 or less 
Im not a great lover of Callass voice, but the squallier the better
in this role, especially as in 1952 her worst vocal idiosyncrasies were yet
to come. She is, indeed, excellent in the role and de Sabata at the helm practically
guarantees success apart from the very rare misjudged tempo, but I had forgotten
how indifferently Callas is supported by the rest of the cast and the recording
really demands a great deal of tolerance  Ive heard better from
pre-electric 78s originals  though there are patches where it sounds
more than bearable.

At the emusic.com price this is a bargain but for better sound you have to
pay a little more for the Abbado recording on DG originals  amazon.co.uk
have the 2-CD set (449 7322) for less than any download of that recording
that Ive been able to find.

At £1.68 or less this is a steal for fans of Jussi Björling 
if I say that he was the greatest non-Italian tenor youll know that
I count myself one. The recording requires some tolerance  at first
it sounds as if it were made in a metal tank, but the ear soon compensates.
With only highlights now available from RCA, the only current alternative
is the Naxos Historical transcription in preferable sound but costing rather
more, even as a download from classicsonline.com (8.111042-4, with
highlights from Un Ballo in Maschera).

Callas fans will prefer her studio recording from the same year, with Tito
Gobbi and with Tullio Serafin directing. Im not normally a Callas enthusiast
but, as with Macbeth, this is one exception that Im prepared
to make (EMI  see July 2010 Roundup).
Ignore the passionato link, which no longer applies. The least expensive download
is from classicsonline.com.
Some sites offer the highlights without making that clear  be careful
what you purchase.

That download of the EMI transfer is the safest bet  it still sounds
very well, in fact  but youll find various other downloads online
for as little as £0.84 from emusic.com here
(Acts I and II) and here
(Acts II conclusion, III and IV). I cant vouch for the quality; the
preview sounds acceptable only. On disc this recording appears to be available
only in a bumper 35-CD edition.

When this recording was released on Decca LXT5336/7 in mid-1957 the ballet
was quite new, having been premiered on New Years Day of that year 
thats almost as fast as modern technology now brings us recordings on
CD and DVD. Be aware that the ballet was cut in order to fit on two LPs and
that Decca have produced their own, more expensive reissue (478 4203
 download from amazon.co.uk.
Also on 7-CD set 475 6051.). The music is attractive, the performances
authoritative and while the recording may no longer merit the description
first-rate  perhaps partly because the emusic.com transfer
to which I listened is made at a very low bit-rate  its certainly
more than tolerable. Emusic.coms £1.26 is less expensive than
classicsonline.coms £3.98, but the latter may sound better.

The more recent EMI recording from the London Sinfonietta/Oliver Knussen,
coupled with the Dances from Gloriana, is also available at an attractive
price (£4.99) from sainsburysentertainment.co.uk.
See review
of a more recent reissue of this recording coupled with Bartók.

Classic Britten recordings, now deservedly offered together in good transfers.
The earliest recording, of the Simple Symphony, dates from 1939 but
a certain minor skirmish in September of that year caused the release to be
overlooked by Compton Mackenzie until 1944. His initial reaction to this juvenile
work was spot on in my opinion: its charming and immediately entertaining
but hardly hangs together as a symphony or makes a lasting impression. It
couldnt have had a better advocate than Boyd Neel, even though it was
later recorded by Britten himself (Decca E417 5092) and the recording,
bright but thin, sounds remarkably fresh.

The Pears-Brain recording of the Serenade is available from several sources,
including a Decca Eloquence CD of Pears-Britten Premieres (480 5055)
but many will find the Beulah coupling the most appropriate. The Documents
label offers downloads of Britten recordings, the Simple Symphony and
the earlier 78s recording of the Variations from 1938 on Volume 1 (1938-47)
and the Serenade on Volume 2 (1942-44).

Pears, Brain and Britten recorded the work again in 1953, a recording which
was reissued in dubious electronic stereo on Decca Eclipse and more recently
on a Regis CD at budget price, but that version didnt quite have the
force of the 1944 premiere or the recording quality of the stereo version
with Pears and Tuckwell. In a detailed and perceptive review Alec Robertson
was immensely stirred by the release of the premiere recording in 1945 and,
though the sound is no longer to be described asoften very good,
Beulahs transfer is impressive  fuller in tone and more faithful
than the Simple Symphony but afflicted by a (tolerable) degree of 78
noise. Stay away only if Peter Pears voice is totally anathema 
I know there are those who find it so. Im not immensely keen except
in Britten but the Serenade has never sounded better than in this recording;
try the powerful Dirge on track 9 if youre not sure.

Boyd Neel recorded the Bridge Variations on 78s in 1938 and again 1950
but this is a reissue of the LP remake from 1953, first released slightly
oddly coupled with Peter Warlocks jaunty Capriol Suite. By this
third recording the orchestra, the original dedicatees of the work, had mastered
all the difficulties of the music to perfection and the recording is more
than tolerable  a bit too brightly lit.

This recording, released a few years too early to have been reviewed on MusicWeb
International, was Chandos most recent free mp3 download with their
email newsletter  well worth signing up for. The performances may not
be the last word in performances of either work; though they received a four-star
accolade in the Penguin Guide, that seems over-generous and runs counter to
the general run of review opinions. Worth having as a gift, however.

All the music here, with one exception, comes from the flowering of renaissance
polyphony and the era immediately after that flowering, in England a period
from William Cornysh at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries to Orlando Gibbons
more than a hundred years later.

Stile Antico have already amply demonstrated their prowess in the music of this
period and they do so again here. Apart from the fact that they make some of
the music sound a little too beautiful  Victorias setting of O
vos omnes, from the Good Friday Improperia or Reproaches could do
with sounding more reproachful  my only reservation is that almost everything
here is available in first-class recordings from the likes of The Tallis Scholars
and The Sixteen on CDs which you may prefer for their couplings. A superb interpretation
of Cornyshs Woefully arrayed, for example, can be found on a selection
of his music from The Tallis Scholars (CDGIM014). There are also recommendable
versions on a budget Alto offering, formerly Saga, from the Hilliard and New
London ensembles (ALC1015) and, with music by Taverner, again from the
Paul Hillier on Ars Nova (8.226050). Id like to hear more of Stile
Antico in the music of a single composer, preferably one who has not been over-recorded,
as on their CD of Sheppard, HMU807059  April 2010 Download Roundup.

The exception to the run of renaissance music comes at the mid point of the
programme with another setting of Skeltons Woefully arrayed, this
time as commissioned for performance by Stile Antico from John McCabe. Though
clearly written in a modern, more angular idiom, the work fits in very well
and here the performance does have that extra bite that I found slightly lacking
on some other tracks.

The lack of texts constitutes a serious problem; to obtain them youll
have to choose the mp3-only version from classicsonline.com and eschew the excellent
lossless download for around the same price from eclasscal.com. It shouldnt
have to be either the notes or lossless sound  I mustnt go on; Ive
had too much to say on this subject in other reviews recently.

Volume Three of this series is every bit as good as its predecessors. The programme
consists of music for Good Friday (Stabat Mater), Easter (Ad cnam
Agni and three offertories for Eastertide) and music in honour of the Virgin
Mary (Regina cli, the Mass based on it and three excerpts from
Palestrinas setting of the Canticum canticorum or Song of Songs,
a love poem traditionally regarded as applying mystically either to Mary or
to the union of Christ with His church).

The inclusion of three items from Song of Songs means that you will be duplicating
these pieces if you already have or intend to acquire the excellent Virgin Classics
(5622392, 2 CDs with le Vergine) or Hyperion Helios (CDH55095)
recordings of the complete work. As those are both at budget price, however,
duplication in this case comes at small cost.

With some of the parts lost, this book of Gesualdos sacred music has not
been recorded or performed before, so we must be grateful to James Wood for
reconstructing those missing bassus and sextus parts; as Harmonia
Mundi put it, a precious gem recovered. Those who know Gesualdos madrigals
and sacred music will not need me to tell them how impassioned his style is.
Though Im not sure that I buy the theory that his music was intended as
partial atonement for the murder of his wife and her lover  renaissance
princes did things like that without too much remorse and Gesualdo was Prince
of Venosa  its certainly appropriate that theres more penitential
than joyful music in this selection.

The performances are good; though I have heard more impassioned singing of Gesualdos
music, the beauty of the singing makes considerable amends. The recording, especially
the 24-bit lossless, is good, but the lack of a booklet of words is again a
serious problem. The fact that I know or know where to find most of the words
is neither here nor there  you may not and you deserve to have them if
youve paid $18.67 for the 24/96 download.

Apart from the recording from the Alia Vox CD of the soundtrack of Tous les
Matins du Monde (Alia Vox AV/AVSA9821)  which, dare I admit,
I found a rather boring film  and a Naxos CD of his music performed by
Spectre de la Rose, I didnt know the music of Marin Marais at all well.
I never got round to the London Baroque Harmonia Mundi CD (HMA1951105
 budget CD or download from amazon.co.uk)
containing la Gamme and the other works from the 1723 collection, all
included on this Linn recording, so I hadnt realised what a remarkable
piece la Gamme is.

I have to admit that I dont reach for those two Marais recordings which
I own very often  cant remember when I last played them  but
I dont think that will be the case with this new Linn recording; the quality
of the music, performance and recording all practically guarantee frequent returns.
The 24/96 download sound is excellent; theres no need to lament the lack
of an SACD equivalent, but Ive had the opportunity to compare the stereo
SACD tracks from three recent Linn releases with the 24/96 equivalents and have
found the latter to emerge well from the comparison, so the Studio Master downloads
should be preferable to the CD.

The Forqueray music is a little more workaday by comparison but with an excellent
booklet of notes, this is a highly desirable release; its Trio Sonneries
debut for Linn and I hope we shall have many more of this calibre.

This is not the first recording of the work; there was an abridged version on
Vox Turnabout. No doubt the performance from La Scala on that LP was unidiomatic
and didnt make a strong case for the music, but its odd to read
Stanley Sadie rubbishing the music and wishing it was 'all worth the trouble.
Times have changed and attitudes to Vivaldis operas with them but Im
sure its not just a matter of the Emperors New Clothes that I find
myself really enjoying the Vivaldi opera recordings that Ive heard recently,
not least this offering.

Minor reservations about (fast) tempi apart, this recording makes a very strong
case for the music; the cast are first-rate and the recording very good.

As so often, its swings and roundabouts between the eclassical.com and
classicsonline.com versions; the former is offered in lossless for the same
price as mp3  you can, indeed, have both not just either/or  but
it comes without the all-important booklet of texts which the latter offer,
albeit that their download is mp3 only. The ideal solution for those who can
is to buy the lossless version from eclassical.com and download the booklet
from Naxos Music Library.

The eclassical.com costs $34.99; the classicsonline.com at $29.97 or £23.97
is less expensive in the USA but about the same price in the UK.

Writing about the CPO recording of Vivaldis Orlando Furioso 
review
 I floated the idea of purchasing that set but adding the highlights from
the Spinosi recording on Naïve. You can obtain those highlights 
a 2-CD set with highlights from Griselda, etc.  from classicsonline.com
for £7.99 or in mp3 and lossless for $19.62 from eclassical.com. This
time, however, neither supplier offers the pdf booklet.

Very confusingly, the Naïve complete recordings of the opera and highlights
share almost the same cover; to add to the confusion, Naïve have also recorded
the 1714 version, RV819, with Modo Antiquo and Antonio Sardelli as well as Spinosis
1724/27 version, RV728/RV Anh.84, the version which CPO also use.

The good news about the hmvdigital.com download of the Naïve/Opus111 3-CD
recording of Vivaldis Orlando Finto Pazzo  here
 is that the price has increased to only £7.99 since I recommended
it in my April 2012/2 Download Roundup
and the new arrangement with 7digital has brought into play a much better download
manager than the one which I grumbled about.

If you just want a selection of the music from Telemanns wonderful Tafelmusik
collection, the most enticing background music that you could imagine, Florilegiums
album will do very nicely indeed  sympathetic performances, excellently
recorded (I listened to the 24/96 version) and complete with a fine booklet
of notes. It very neatly supplements two budget-price Hyperion Helios releases:
the Kings Consorts recording of the Overture-Suites in D and B-flat
(CDH55278 [67:02]  see March 2012/1 Roundup)
and an album of recorder concertos from Peter Holtslag and the Parley of Instruments
(CDH55091 [66:13]  see May 2010 Roundup).

If you are looking for the complete Tafelmusik at an attractive price,
I intended to remind you of the Harmonia Mundi 4-CD recording with the Freiburg
Baroque Orchestra and Petra Mullejans, my Bargain of the Month
in the March 2012/1 Download Roundup.
Unfortunately, however, clicking the link to hmvdigital.com now draws a blank
 perhaps they realised that they were offering a 4-disc set for the price
of one  and the classicsonline.com download at £31.96 is almost
twice the price you might expect to pay for the CDs; our friends at MDT are
offering the set for £15.00 as I write (HMC902042/45).

Another very brief and wholly approving review: this is a must for all lovers
of Bachs and Telemanns music. The combination of Florilegium and
Telemann has been described as a marriage made in heaven and their Bach is just
as fine, with Lucy Crowe in fine voice in BWV209. With excellent recording in
24/96 format and an informative booklet of notes  Id forgotten Telemanns
pre-Bach association with Leipzig  only those who object to the opportunity
to compare two of the three great North German near-contemporaries or who dislike
vocal and instrumental music in one programme need abstain.

Both the CPO and Channel Classics sets of the Paris (flute) Quartets run to
three volumes, with CDs 2 and 3 together as a set on CPO. In musical terms there
is little to choose  both are first rate  but the CPO downloads
are in (good) mp3 only, while Volumes 2 and 3 on Channel Classics are available
on SACD or as 24-bit downloads from their website; Volume 1 (CCS13598)
is out of stock on CD, but can be downloaded in mp3 and 16-bit lossless. An
additional materialistic consideration: you get more for your bucks with Channel
on three very well filled programmes. You wont go far wrong with either.

Telemanns cantatas are often quite different in form from what we expect
from J S Bachs but the three here, especially the opening cantata for
Easter Sunday, are closer in form than most to the Bach model. The performances
are good, the music well worth hearing  though the lack of texts is a
hindrance to enjoyment, the clarity of diction throughout means that German
speakers should have little trouble  and the recording, made with a mercifully
quiet audience, does music and performances justice, especially in lossless
flac. Everything is under the sure direction of Hermann Max who has given us
some fine Telemann recordings on various labels. Jonathan Woolf asks why the
CPO recording below was kept on the back burner so long; the same question applies
here, too.

CPO and eclassical.com should really resolve the issue of texts and even Naxos
Music Library need to ensure that the cut-down booklets which they provide contain
the words; they usually dont.

[The performances throughout are polished and effective The music
combines relatively little known composers with such as Telemann and Pachelbel,
which is a representative reflection of the music performed at the time
[but] why has this disc been on the back burner since 2003? See review
by Jonathan Woolf.]

I enjoyed hearing this as much as Jonathan Woolf appears to have done, but I
did so without the benefit of the full booklet which comes with the CD to which
he had access and which he praised. Thats a problem not only in terms
of the missing  and important  texts, even though the diction makes
the words clear enough for German speakers, but I wouldnt have had any
information about the less well-known composers if Id had to rely on eclassical.com
alone. Though Naxos Music Library provides a comparatively detailed booklet
of notes, its still devoid of texts. This serious issue doesnt apply
just to eclassical.coms CPO recordings. If Chandos and Hyperion can provide
full, often luxurious booklets, why cannot the others? Eclassical.com do provide
excellent full booklets for BIS recordings from their own stable.

Johann Buttstett wasnt even a name to me before, though Im glad
to make the acquaintance of his music. The three works by Telemann provide the
musical highlights but the hors duvres are all delightful.
Its all very well performed and recorded and delightful despite my grumbles.

NCA: were used to Bach getting this sort of treatment but Handel
lends himself almost equally well to it. My one real complaint is that the contribution
in three of the Nine German Arias of Jörg Waschincki, though hes
billed in the blurb asrenowned, leaves a great deal to be desired.
Otherwise this offers what it says on the label and in the booklet (For
Handel, authentic would have been whatever pleased him); as
long as you dont take it too seriously, its fun. Authenticists of
a nervous disposition should avoid.

KuK: Some nine minutes of the programme are taken up with a lengthy explanation
in German of what music is being played  of no great value for most of
us and none at all for non-German speakers. Though its easy to programme
them out, they reduce the playing time to under an hour.

Whereas the NCA recording consists wholly of the music of Handel reinterpreted
in jazz style, the KuK mixes baroque music in its original form with modern
works and rearrangements. The latter comes at just £4.99 from classicsonline.com,
complete with booklet; the eclassical.com version is a little more expensive
and is devoid of booklet but comes in lossless form at the same price as mp3.
Filter out the spoken bits and the vocal items on NCA and both albums are fun.

Having recently recommended a Somm 2-CD set of Geminianis Op.1 sonatas
(London Handel Players, SOMMCD248  look out for review on main
MusicWeb pages), the natural progression was to choose a version of the his
Concerto grosso arrangements of Corellis Op.5 sonatas, themselves the
model for Geminianis Op.1. The logical recommendation, Andrew Manze with
the Academy if Ancient Music on Harmonia Mundi, is now available only in truncated
form  the last six concertos at budget price, bundled with the H-M catalogue
 and even as a download its elusive. Chiara Banchini and her ensemble
ride to the rescue with an almost equally recommendable alternative.

Though her version, too, is elusive on disc, the classicsonline.com download
is very good value at £8.99 for almost two hours of music; the only seller
of the CDs that Ive found online is asking £29.99, one only available
at the time of writing, though you may find these performances as part of a
5-CD set for around £34.00, coupled with music by Albinoni, and Porpora
(recently released as ZZT316). The budget price makes the lack of a booklet
more palatable.

I greatly enjoyed the small-scale Beethoven concerto recordings which Arthur
Schoonderwoerd and Cristofori made for Alpha, though I wouldnt want to
make them my sole versions of those works  Alpha 155 (1 & 2),
122 (3 and Piano arrangement of Violin Concerto) and 079 (4&5)
 and I was expecting to obtain the same pleasure from their Mozart. There
is, indeed, much to enjoy, especially if you like smaller-scale Mozart with
the solo part played on the fortepiano. I do, especially in the Elvira
Madigan slow movement of No.21, but overall I find the effect too much
like the old-fashioned Dresden-china Mozart for a firm recommendation, a charge
from which I sought to exonerate Hans Richter-Haaser in Concerto No.17, reissued
on Beulah Extra, in my last Download News. The orchestral openings of all the
first movements seem to promise sturdier interpretations than is the case once
the soloist enters.

The recordings are good, especially the eclassical.com lossless, but that comes
without the booklet. I leave the choice to you, having obtained one volume from
each of these and more than happy with either in terms of recorded sound.

Until Ronald Brautigam reaches these works in the series which he is recording
for BIS on the fortepiano, I can only recommend staying with the best versions
on the modern piano. In Nos. 19, 20 and 21 you cant beat for value Alfred
Brendels budget-price twofer on Decca, coupled with 23, 24 and two Concert
Rondos (442 2692  2012/24 Download News) and theres similar
value to be had from Mitsuko Uchidas recording of No.18, again on a Decca
twofer, with 9, 14, 15, 17 and a Concert Rondo (473 3132). Uchidas
new recording of Nos. 9 and 21 is also well worth considering  Decca 478
3539: 2012/24 Download News  as are the classic Geza Anda recording
of Nos. 6, 17 and 21 (DG Originals, budget price, or Linn UNI104 in 24-bit
sound  July 2012/2 Roundup), Howard Shelley in 12 and 19 (Chandos CHAN9256),
Clifford Curzon in 20, 23, 24, 26 and 27 (Decca 468 2912, budget price)
and Imogen Cooper in 18 and 22 (Avie AV2200).

Breaking News: right on cue, BIS have released the latest volume in the
Brautigam series:

No.19 is here combined with my favourite among the mature Mozart concertos,
No.23. This latest release is short on playing time, but the eclassical.com
price-per-second policy takes care of that  $7.49 for mp3 and 16-bit and
the same price temporarily for 24-bit while the offer lasts. The same virtues
apply as with the earlier releases in the series which have received some stick
in certain quarters, but not from me or my MusicWeb International colleagues.
The recording is very good, especially as the 24-bit download comes at 96kHz.

In 1970 you could have bought this recording on RCA Victrola VICS1478 for 24/
(£1.20 but at least £25 in current values). I can guarantee that
it wouldnt have sounded as well, then or when first released on SB21492,
as it does in this very substantial HDTT reincarnation. In 1962 it had the misfortune
to appear almost simultaneously with Wilhelm Kempffs stereo re-recording
of this concerto, with Ferdinand Leitner, by comparison with which this recording
sounded  and still sounds, it must be admitted  rather too big-boned.
Beethovens first two piano concertos really demand almost as light a touch
as Mozarts, yet in both cases that has to be without making them sound
like dainty porcelain, a feat which Ive just accused Arthur Schoonderwoerd
of failing to achieve in Mozart. Its a really difficult balancing act
and I think that Richter, Munch and the RCA engineers erred just too much on
the heavy side.

That said, I know that there are many who like even early Beethoven to sound
big and they certainly wont be disappointed. Even though it wouldnt
be my benchmark version  that would be Stephen Kovacevich and Colin Davis
(recently reissued at budget price on Decca Virtuoso 478 4225, with No.2:
download from 7digital.com)
 I enjoyed hearing it. I certainly dont wish to give the impression
that its a blunderbuss of a performance  the slow movement is very
delicately done and the finale is lively and bright.

The HDTT transfer from a 4-track tape is excellent, though it cant disguise
the fact that the RCA engineers seem to have pushed their VU meters pretty close
to the maximum  a volume reduction helps, but not completely. I listened
to the 24/96 version, the lowest-fi on offer from HDTT, but the best that my
DAC can cope with at native resolution. At $16.00 the HDTT download comes at
a fraction of the price of that Victrola reissue, let alone the original full-price
version.

Paganinis violin concertos require oodles of technique and thats
something that the young violinist here, Ivan Pochekin, possesses in abundance.
With good support from Dmitry Yablonsky and the Russian Philharmonic its
easy to enjoy this new recording, even to excuse the very close balance which
places the soloist in our laps in the manner of 1960s CBS recordings. Thats
not a major problem because the spotlight in this kind of music is on the soloist;
Ive just been listening to Heifetz playing la Campanella from Paganinis
Violin Concerto No.2 with the Kreisler piano accompaniment and it sounds just
as good in that form as it does with orchestra because its the violin
that counts.

I am less happy about having the orchestra also very forwardly recorded 
the effect is a bit overwhelming and if you over-compensate by turning the volume
down the impact is easily lost. You may actually find the mp3 version preferable
on this occasion  it seems to tone down the in-your-lap effect somewhat
 thereby saving yourself £1 or $1. I should add that a review which
Ive read  not from MusicWeb International  reverses my thoughts
and places the blame for the less than mellifluous sound on the soloist and
orchestra and gives the recording a high rating. Yet another reviewer seems
more than happy with both performance and recording; I advise listening to some
samples first, or even streaming the whole from Naxos Music Library to see which
of us you agree with.

There are plenty of very good recordings of the earlier concertos but No.5 tends
to feature only in complete recordings of Paganinis complete concertos,
as on the superb Salvatore Accardo; LPO/Charles Dutoit set on DG, which remains
first choice if you want the whole deal (463 7542, 6 CDs for around £30;
download from 7digital.com).
If you are looking just for the works recorded here, the new Naxos will do fine.

In order to establish my benchmark I first returned to Sir Thomas Beecham with
the RPO in Carnaval romain, Roi Lear, Le Corsaire, Les Francs-juges and
Waverley overtures (1954) on Naxos Classical Archives 9.80711
[57:40], a marvellous bargain from classicsonline.com
at £1.99 if you live in a country where copyright laws allow you to
obtain it. Though I thought I remembered these performances well, especially
that of Les Francs-juges, part of which was the theme tune for the BBC
TV Arts programme Monitor, I was surprised that Beecham adopts fairly sedate
tempi, with only Lear slightly faster than Andrew Davis, but it was one
of Beechams tricks to be able sometimes to take the music comparatively
sedately and still leave an impression of sparkling bravura.

Beecham builds up the tension very slowly at the opening of Les Francs-juges
but theres no lack of what Trevor Harvey, commenting on the 1962 reissue,
called utterly satisfying fiery attack and zest and the excitement at the end
is all the more effective for the slow build-up. Of course the sound is dated,
but not so badly as to rule this out of court for repeated listening and far
and away better than I recall that release on GBL5833 sounding. Of course, Beecham
does a few naughty things, such as extending the penultimate chord of Le
Carnaval romain but, as TH wrote, this time in his review of the original
full-price Philips release, its not hard to imagine Berlioz wishing that
he had thought of it.

At this point I allowed myself to be side-tracked by listening to another Beecham
classic performance of Berlioz, Harold in Italy with William Primrose
(viola), still sounding well enough, apart from some background rumble, on Past
Classics ([40:52] £1.68 from
emusic.com) to remind us what a very fine performance this is, though recorded
even earlier than the overtures. Supplement this with the LSO Live Tabea Zimmermann/Colin
Davis performance (LSO0040  June 2010 Roundup:
no current download is likely to undercut the cost of the CD, target price £5.40)
and you have the best of both worlds.

That brief excursion allowed me to return to Andrew Daviss version of
Les Francs-juges without making too overt a comparison with Beecham.
Davis allows the tension to build a little earlier than Beecham but overall
theres far less difference between the two performances than the timings
might suggest (Beecham 14:30; Davis 11:53  with Colin Davis and the Dresden
Staatskapelle on RCA splitting the difference at 12:28). The new recording,
especially in its 24/96 form, is, of course, far superior to Beechams,
but I still find Beecham by a very slight margin the subtler interpreter of
the music. Theres very little in it, however, and I suspect that younger
listeners, in whose psyche the older recording is not deeply implanted, would
prefer the new Chandos recording.

If youre looking for a modern recording of these overtures, especially
if you hanker after 24-bit better-than-CD sound, the new Chandos recording should
meet your needs. If youre prepared to tolerate the (decent) mono sound,
Beecham is an essential extra. Alternatively, the Colin Davis Staatskapelle
recording from 1998 can be downloaded for just £4.83 from amazon.co.uk.

[NB: Youll find in the next Download News a much more positive
review of this recording from Dan Morgan, promoted to Recording of the
Month.]

The familiar e minor and unfamiliar early d minor Violin Concertos are here
combined, as they were by Alina Ibragimova on a recent Hyperion recording (CDA67795
 2012/20 Roundup
and 2012/21 Roundup).
Thats a fine version which can hold its own against most of the very fierce
competition in the e minor and which makes a very strong case for its predecessor.

I couldnt recommend the Naxos recording as top dog for the e minor; despite
the beautiful tone of the soloist theres not quite enough strength in
the music as presented here, for my liking, even in the lively finale, to make
it more than a good also-ran.

It is, however, well worth considering if youre looking for a budget-price
alternative to the Hyperion, with the mp3 costing £4.99 ($7.99) and the
lossless £5.99 ($8.99) as against £6.99 for the Hyperion in mp3
or 16-bit and £10.50 for the 24-bit version. Whichever you choose, the
coupling with the early d minor concerto on Hyperion or Naxos leaves you free
to choose a recording of the Bruch Violin Concerto that isnt coupled with
Mendelssohn, of which my favourite would be Kyung-wha Chung on Decca, with Bruchs
Scottish Fantasia, a work which I love even more than his Violin Concerto.

Ive only ever heard Raffs music before in conjunction with his older
contemporary Mendelssohn  both their Octets on Chandos CHAN8790
 and its Mendelssohn who is brought to mind by the Second Symphony
which opens this recording. The interest in Shakespeare which begat the four
preludes was part of the deal with German Romanticism; here, too, the model
is Mendelssohn, with whose music Raff was fascinated to the point of obsession,
but with more than a hint, too, of Schumann.

Full marks to Chandos for digging his music out of near-obscurity  I note
that this is billed as Volume 1 so theres more to come. Tudor
have also been recording his music  Symphony No. 2 is on TUDOR7102
with the Suite aus Thüringen  and the only other rival version
of the Second Symphony is download-only from Marco Polo (8.223630, with
Macbeth and Romeo Preludes). Rob Barnett thought that the allegro
opening movement of the Tudor recording might have been more spry, though at
11:33 Hans Stadlmair is a minute faster than Neeme Järvi on the new recording.
Urs Schneiders tempo on Marco Polo is also faster than Järvis
but I never thought that Järvis performance dragged. If the fairies
in the scherzo are a trifle leaden-footed by comparison with Mendelssohns,
thats more Raffs fault than Järvis. You can compare the
three recordings for yourself from the Naxos Music Library and they can be downloaded
from classicsonline.com (mp3) and eclassical.com (mp3 and lossless).

Between Sir Adrian Boult and Johannes Brahms there is a clearly traceable and
comparatively short musical family tree. In itself that wouldnt be significant
but, in fact, Boults Brahms is very special, as ICAs two earlier
recordings of the First and Third Symphonies have demonstrated (ICAC5091
 review
and June 2011/1 Roundup
 and ICAC5063  March 2012/2 Roundup
 both with very good Elgar couplings). This recording of the Fourth from
1975 continues ICAs good work in reminding us just how special that rapport
was; his Fourth now joins a select few recordings of that work at the top of
the tree for me, with Klemperer (EMI  shortly due for reissue at a very
special price) still just at the apex.

Though I greatly enjoyed Boult, I simply had to revisit Klemperers Fourth
straight afterwards and I have to say that I still give it pride of place. In
the first two movements Boult is a little faster, as you might expect, but Klemperers
Fourth is far from monumental  in the third movement there are only ten
seconds in it and in the finale hes actually a tad faster than Boult,
even allowing for the brief applause on ICA. Though dating from the late 1950s
the recording is surprisingly good, too  brighter than the ICA 
so its well worth looking out for Klemperers Brahms symphonies when
they are re-reissued. Judging by the prices being asked for his Beethoven and
Bruckner, that new release shouldnt break the bank, either.

The recording, made in the Royal Albert Hall with a reasonably quiet audience,
sounds typical of BBC broadcasts of the time  essentially truthful but
hardly of demonstration quality. As with the other releases its just a
little lacking in the top frequencies, but thats better than sounding
too shrill.

The Mendelssohn, recorded a little earlier, in 1972, again in the Royal Albert
Hall, may not be so special a coupling as Boults Elgar Enigma Variations
coupling for the ICA recording of the Brahms First, but its well worth
hearing and the recording is good considering its provenance.

Chadwicks music wont make you feel that the earth has moved 
its much more conventional than that of his near-neighbour and younger
contemporary Charles Ives  but its very pleasant to listen to and
in some moods Id rather hear Chadwick than Ives, though the boot would
usually be on the other foot. On second thoughts, Ivess early symphonies
are pretty conventional, too.

For some reason the Chandos is listed in some quarters as a mid-price
2-CD set; it isnt, its a single full-price disc (£7.99 for
mp3, £9.99 for lossless download). The two symphonies there are probably
the best place to start; the music is very tuneful, the performances and recording
excellent, and they come with a booklet of notes containing information about
Chadwick, which you wont get with the Dutton download. These notes include
the interesting speculation that Chadwick may have influenced Dvořák,
instead of vice versa as is usually assumed.

The least expensive way to obtain the Dutton recording is from emusic.com
for members (£2.94 or less); alternatively its £6.23 from
amazon.co.uk.
The emusic.com download is at around 230kb/s, so theres likely to be little
advantage in paying more for the amazon.com  or even more from iTunes
 since they both come at a nominal best of 256kb/s. Despite the low bit-rate,
the recordings are more than serviceable and the performances much more than
that. This is a recommended follow-up to the Chandos symphonies.

The two Reference Recordings releases of Chadwicks tone poems which Rob
Barnett recommended  review
 remain available on CD a 2-disc set  review
 from MDT
and Amazon.co.uk.
Download (mp3 with booklet) from classicsonline.com
or stream from Naxos Music Library.

Osmo Vänskäs earlier recording of the Sibelius First Symphony
for BIS with the Lahti Symphony Orchestra is an absolute cracker  one
of several strong recommendations for this work. Now he has re-recorded it,
coupled again with the Fourth, encompassing the warmest and coolest of the composers
music, with the Minnesota Orchestra. This release, intended for March 2013,
has been brought forward in the wake of the orchestras recent Grammy nomination
for the recording of the popular Second and Fifth Symphonies (BIS-SACD-1986).

As with that recent release, the new recording of the First is a shade faster
and less intense than before and though it remains a strong contender, with
a world-class orchestra, I cant help feeling that the Scandinavian orchestra
on the earlier recording helped Osmo Vänskä to deliver a more Sibelian
sound.

The Fourth is perhaps the least well-known of Sibelius symphonies 
it certainly doesnt have the warm, immediate appeal of the First, Second
and Fifth, so its something of a gamble to couple Nos. 1 and 4. Once again,
apart from the first movement, Vänskäs tempi are faster than
before and I find myself admiring the new recording but liking the older version
more  if thats the right word for this gaunt symphony.

The older recording of these symphonies also comes as part of a very generous
5-disc box set of all the symphonies, on CD or, marginally less expensive still,
as a download from eclassical.com
(BIS-CD-1933/35  review
and review
of the earlier 4-CD set); its also available as part of an unbelievable
£5.99 bargain set from amazon.co.uk of all the symphonies, including both
versions of the Fifth, the Violin Concerto, Karelia and Lemminkaïnen
suites, Finlandia and En Saga  Nick Barnard pointed me in
the direction of that some time ago  Bargain of the Month 
June 2011/2 Roundup.
Though in mp3, and at around 225kb/s rather than the full 320kb/s, it sounds
very well indeed.

The Britten centenary celebrations may, not unreasonably, lead you back to the
music of his mentor, Frank Bridge. These recordings individually and collectively
represent a treasure trove of English chamber music and, with two of the recordings
at budget price, it wont cost you a fortune to obtain them even if, as
I suggest, you obtain all four and thereby duplicate some of the music.

For Chandoss 6-CD collected orchestral works of Bridge, now reissued in
the Hickox edition (CHAN10729X, also separately at full price), please
see review,
review
and June 2012/2 Download Roundup.

Alternatively, for a more manageable selection of his orchestral music:

I hadnt realised just how much these two works had in common until I heard
them together in this apt coupling of two live recording made live at Jones
Hall, Houston, in 1987 and 1989. The comparison is especially apt because, as
the notes indicate, Erich Bergel doesnt bask in the full religiosity of
the Messiaen; if thats what youre looking for you may well be disappointed
 rather he emphasises the power of the music, though without diminishing
the ethereal nature of the final prayer of Christ as He ascends to God.

Christoph Eschenbach doesnt go hell for leather in the Rite of Spring
but eases us gently into the action. Having turned down the volume slightly
for the HDTT Richter Beethoven recording (above) I found myself having to turn
it up again to get the full power of this performance, but when things get going
theres no lack of strength in this performance. As far as Im aware,
Eschenbach never recorded Stravinsky commercially, so this release is especially
welcome. Only those looking for maximum oomph throughout are likely to be disappointed.

For once HDTT were not having to make the best of 50-year-old tapes with all
the inherent problems, but had access to the 16-bit digital original of the
Stravinsky and a 16-bit backup of the original analogue tape of the Messiaen;
the result is excellent at 24/96, so 24/192 should sound even better for those
with a suitable DAC. I could have wished that the Stravinsky had not been divided
into so many tracks; theres a slight hiatus at a couple of transitions
when played via Winamp, a very unusual occurrence with flac. Songbird -another
free programme  copes better, as usual, though not ideally and youll
have to reassemble the tracks in the right order to play them there.
John WILLIAMS (b. 1932) (arr. Jay BOCOCK)Catch Me If You Can, for alto saxophone and band (2002)* [6:52]Darius MILHAUD (1892-1974)La création du monde, for 2 flutes, oboe, 2 clarinets in B flat,
bassoon, alto saxophone, horn, 2 trumpets, trombone, percussion, piano, 2 violins,
cello and double bass (1923) [16:13]Roger BOUTRY (b. 1932)Divertimento pour saxophone alto et orchestre dharmonie (1963/2007)*
[8:48]Paul CRESTON (1906-85)
Concerto for alto saxophone and band, Op.26b (1941/44)* [1904]Anders EMILSSON (b. 1963)
Salute the band, for wind ensemble and percussion (2006) [11:57]Ástor PIAZZOLLA (1921-92)Escualo (1979)* arranged for alto saxophone and band by TEHO [4:03]
Claude Delangle (alto saxophone)*
Swedish Wind Ensemble/Christian Lindberg
Additional players in Milhaud: Jonas Lindgård and Christian Bergqvist
(violin), Christina Wirdegren Alin (cello,) Stefan Lindgren (piano)  rec.
2007. DDD.
Pdf booklet includedBIS-CD-1640 [68:35]  from eclassical.com
(mp3, 16 and 24-bit lossless) or stream from Naxos Music Library

Im surprised that we have had to wait over five years for the BIS
recording to appear. Perhaps the fact that it was recorded in DDD and at 24/44.1,
rather than the more audiophile DSD and 24/96, was thought to be a handicap.
If thats the case, its no detriment as far as Im concerned
 theres nothing amiss with the recording, except that it needs to
be played at a slightly higher volume than usual for the full impact.

The programme is adventurous, combining the familiar Milhaud with much less
well known works. There are, of course, plenty of good rival recordings of La
Création du Monde, some of them a little more energetic than the
performance here, which makes up in smoochiness what it lacks in force. With
Bernsteins classic recording available at budget price on an EMI twofer
of Milhaud concertos (0946882: review
and Bargain of the Month review
of earlier release; also Brilliant Classics 9007  review)
it makes sense for BIS to give the Milhaud works title to the whole album
but also to regard the other works an important auxiliary selling point.

I listened again to Bernstein (from Naxos Music Library) just to make sure that
I wasnt being too hard on Christian Lindberg and his team and there is
a greater sense of momentum, even though Bernstein takes a few seconds longer
overall (16:57 against 16:13). He manages to make the music both dreamy and
volatile at the same time, as Rob Barnett puts it in his review
of the Brilliant Classics set. The difference is most marked in part four, le
désir (track 8 on BIS). Dont be tempted to purchase the Bernstein
as a download; I havent found a single supplier (UK or US) who isnt
asking much more than the CDs cost in their respective countries.

Its the couplings that make the new BIS recording appealing; theyre
all very attractive and, though Ive no benchmark for them as I have with
the Milhaud, they are well performed and recorded. The vivid Douanier
Rousseau cover adds to the attractiveness of the whole, even if I didnt
find the title work quite as colourful as it might have been.

In terms of sheer enjoyment the Chandos recording has a great deal to
offer: here two Milhaud ballets are coupled with equally jazzy music by Poulenc
and the wonderfully raucous Ibert Divertissement, complete with police
whistles in the riotous finale, which opens with discordant piano chords in
a parody of Schoenberg and his ilk. Its all very well played under the
direction of a conductor with the music in his blood and very well recorded
(16-bit only, but very good) and it still justifies its full-price status. I
dont recall even the classic Decca recording of the Ibert sounding better
(PCO/Martinon, preserved on Decca the Classic Sound 478 2826, 50CDs.
CD33, the Ibert and its original couplings, with the SXL cover, from 7digital.com).
Nor did I think the two Milhaud ballets outshone by Bernstein.

[A vital and very generous collection showcasing a concert Ellington who
loved his commercial roots yet had more to give and gave it. See review
by Rob Barnett.]

No apologies for including Duke Ellingtons music not under a separate
jazz or light music heading but alongside the music
of classical composers. The suite from The River in particular
can hold its head high in any company; it has been, indeed, one of my favourite
pieces of music ever since I heard Julian Joseph and his team perform it on
Radio 3. That broadcast led me to the Virgin Megastore, now sadly defunct, next
time I was in Central London to buy the Chandos recording (CHAN9909).
Like everything else here it receives a sympathetic performance, well recorded.

The date which Naxos give for Three Black Kings, 1943, is surely an error
 the work was intended as a eulogy for Martin Luther King. Left incomplete
at the time of Ellingtons death in 1974, he gave his son instructions
on how to complete it. Even if you have that Chandos recording of The River,
this is a recommended purchase  and an inexpensive one.

Dutton here do more sterling service in introducing us to unknown music which
ought to be better known; it deserves to sell for the sake of the eye-catching
cover alone. The prehistoric art there confirms that the principal work on the
album is indeed inspired by the Lascaux Caves and their artworks, an obvious
deduction though there are no notes with the download, a serious problem when
the music is so unfamiliar. In the past Duttons homepage has been a source
of basic information, but even that is unavailable, something which the record
companies and download sites need seriously to deal with.

All I can tell you is that the piano represents the human spirit struggling
against the odds and that the four movements are:

I havent yet come to love the music  its a little too
cerebral and detached for that, despite the fact that the composer evidently
fell in love with the cave art  but I like it already and everything
is well performed and recorded.

Dutton have already given us a recording of Bushs chamber music; now lets
hope they (or Chandos or Hyperion?) bring us the remaining symphonies, which
are no longer generally available on CD, though classicsonline.com
offer the ClassicO recordings of Nos. 1 and 2 for £4.99 (CLASSCD484,
Royal Northern College of Music/Douglas Bostock  stream from Naxos Music
Library).

They dont make them like this anymore and I dont mean that pejoratively.
There should be a ready market for this release  all those who listen
to Friday Night is Music Night andThe Organist Entertains on BBC Radio 2 for starters  and that includes
me, in the right mood. The timing is rather short, but thats all there
was on the original Decca release (SKL4154). The recording still sounds well
in this refurbishment.

When this recording was first released in 1962 it was up against an LP from
Reginald Dixon, the acknowledge master of the Wurlitzer in Blackpool Tower Ballroom
 perhaps Beulah would refresh some of Dixons recordings of this
vintage now.

The band had just won the National Brass Championships, for which the Verdi
overture had been the test piece, when these recordings were released and they
were at the height of their fame, with recordings coming out every few months
on Fontana and later on Decca.

Some of these tracks were released on an LP entitled National Champions (STL5199)
 surprisingly the items that caught the critical ear of W A Chislett from
that LP, by Gilbert Vinter and an eighteenth-century composer Senaillé,
have not been included but I can agree with WAC that the band is in great form
throughout and the recording still sounds well in this transfer, with just a
slight veiling of the sound and a slight degree of tonal instability on sustained
notes by comparison with modern DDD offerings.

By contrast with the Wurlitzer recording, this album offers very generous playing
time, yet is offered by iTunes for a pound less, at £6.99. Youll
find nine minutes of excerpts on YouTube  here.

Late News

As I was converting this review to html I downloaded the first of the Kings
Consorts new recordings on their own label, Vivat, music by Parry and
Stanford  a very welcome recording in its own right since these two
composers are still underrated, but even more so because it marks new ground
for a group usually associated with the likes of Monteverdi and Vivaldi. There
are mp3, 16- and 24-bit lossless versions at prices ranging from £8
to £15 - I listened to the CD-quality 16-bit flac and found performance
and recording very good; theres also a 66-page pdf booklet which outdoes
even Hyperion, Chandos, Gimell and Linn. More in DL News 2013/5. (VIVAT101
- from vivatmusic.com).
See review
of CD by John Quinn: A Recording of the Month.

Just in case my next Download News doesnt get online before Good Friday,
I must report very favourable initial impressions of the premiere recording
of Pergolesis Seven Words of Christ dying on the Cross (Harmonia
Mundi HMC902155 (33205695) , Akademie fur alte Musik/René Jacobs,
download in mp3, 16- and 24-bit lossless from eclassical.com.

I've just received for review the Warner/Teldec Complete Works of Bach (153
CDs) on a USB memory stick. Guess what will be the major topic of my next
DL News.